Prescription Drug Xarelto May Cause Dangerous and irreversible Internal Bleeding
Prescription drug Xarelto (rivaroxaban) is a blood thinner developed by Bayer HealthCare, the makers of aspirin, and Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. Xarelto is one of the most popular recent drugs on the market and is prescribed to individuals with medical conditions such as blood clots, pulmonary embolism, risk of stroke, and deep vein thrombosis. While any blood thinner presents the risk of bleeding, Xarelto is linked to serious and extensive internal bleeding in some patients.
Hundreds of lawsuits have been filed against the maker and manufacturer of the drug Xarelto, claiming that the drug is dangerous and its creators failed to provide adequate warning as to its bleeding risks to doctors and the community as a whole. The first Xarelto lawsuit was recently filed in a federal court in Georgia and it is likely more will follow.
Xarelto Side Effects and Risks
For decades, doctors prescribed the drug Warfarin as an anticoagulant for patients at risk of clots, strokes, or other medical conditions. Xarelto was released to the market with promises as to its increased efficiency and less need for monitoring. What the makers of Xarelto allegedly failed to disclose, however, is the lack of a reversal agent for the drug. While Warfarin, which also carries the risk of internal bleeding, can be reversed through the administration of Vitamin K, Xarelto cannot be so reversed. This puts Xarelto users at risk of ongoing and virtually unstoppable bleeding in the event of surgery or an accident.
Some recognized serious side effects of the drug Xarelto include:
- Internal bleeding
- Gastrointestinal bleeding
- Brain hemorrhaging
- Kidney bleeding
- Death
Xarelto Lawsuits
So far, hundreds of lawsuits have been filed against the makers of the drug Xarelto alleging that the drug is dangerous by design, should have been recalled, and came with inadequate warnings. Several lawsuits are currently being combined into Multi District Litigation in an effort to expedite the lawsuits and ensure consistency. Multi District Litigation still allows for separate actions and plaintiffs will receive individualized damages. The already filed Xarelto lawsuits generally stem from cases of internal bleeding among users that resulted in hospitalization or, in the most severe cases, death.
Pradaxa is another blood thinner released before Xarelto. It became the subject of much litigation in recent years due to its alleged risk of internal bleeding. Numerous patients injured by the drug Pradaxa did receive compensation for their injuries and related damages. Many attorneys and drug safety experts now believe Xarelto users injured by the drug will follow a similar path.
Anyone who has been injured by the drug Xarelto should consult with an attorney as soon as possible to protect their legal rights. Several major lawsuits are already pending and the results of these cases will impact claims to come.
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Sources:
http://chicago-land.legalexaminer.com/fda-prescription-drugs/xarelto-lawsuits-charge-that-defendant-failed-to-warn-of-drugs-risks/
http://injurylawyer-news.com/2015/05/xarelto-lawsuit-filed-georgia-district-court/